Drive device for an automatic analysis apparatus for in vitro diagnostics

1. An automatic analysis apparatus for in vitro diagnostics, including: a cuvettes strip including a plurality of cuvettes which are secured together by a film which is flexible, each cuvette of the plurality of cuvettes comprising a receptacle configured to contain a biological fluid to be analyzed, the receptacle of each cuvette of the plurality of cuvettes comprising an upper portion including an upper opening and a lower portion including a bottom delimiting a concave guiding path whose concavity is directed upwards, the film being secured to the upper portion of the receptacle of each cuvette of the plurality of cuvettes, a measuring station configured to determine times for modification of a physical state of a biological fluid to be analyzed contained in a cuvette of the cuvettes strip, and a drive device, the drive device including: a guide element defining a guide track along which the measuring station is disposed, the cuvettes strip being received in the guide element and the guide element being configured to guide the cuvettes strip in translation along the guide track, and a drive belt driven by a rotary support member, the drive belt being configured to displace the cuvettes strip in translation along the guide track, the drive belt including outer projections which are spaced apart along the drive belt, wherein the drive belt is disposed below the guide track and the outer projections of the drive belt cooperating with lower portions of the receptacles of the cuvettes strip received in the guide element, each outer projection, among said outer projections which cooperates with lower portions of the receptacles, extending between the lower portions of two adjacent receptacles of the cuvettes strip received in the guide element; and wherein the drive device includes at least one upper stop surface which is located above the guide track, and a pushing device which is located below the guide track and which exerts a pushing force against a belt portion of the drive belt such that the cuvettes located above the belt portion are pressed by the belt portion against the at least one upper stop surface.

2. The automatic analysis apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising another rotary support member, the rotary support member and the another rotary support member configured to support the drive belt, the rotary support member and the another rotary support member having axes of rotation which extend substantially horizontally.

3. The automatic analysis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the guide element includes a lower opening emerging in the guide track and through which an upper strand of the drive belt extends.

4. The automatic analysis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drive device includes a covering element which is fastened to the guide element and which covers the receptacles of the cuvettes strip.

5. The automatic analysis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the measuring station includes at least one measuring unit configured to determine a coagulation time of a blood sample contained in a cuvette of the cuvettes strip that is located at the at least one measuring unit, the at least one measuring unit comprising: a magnetic field generation system configured to generate a magnetic field adapted to displace a ferromagnetic bead, received in the receptacle of the cuvette located at the at least one measuring unit, along the respective concave guiding path and according to an oscillatory movement, an emission device configured to emit an incident light beam in a direction of the blood sample contained in the cuvette located at the at least one measuring unit, the incident light beam being configured to be at least partially concealed by the ferromagnetic bead over at least one portion of the movement of the ferromagnetic bead along the guiding path, and a detection element configured to detect at least one light beam that is transmitted through the cuvette located at the at least one measuring unit and which is derived from the incident light beam, and to output a measurement signal.

6. The automatic analysis apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the emission device and the detection element are disposed on either side of the guide track.

7. The automatic analysis apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the emission device includes: a plurality of light sources configured to emit light beams with different wavelengths, and a wavelengths multiplexing device which includes an optical cavity including a first cavity portion located in the proximity of the light sources and having a first cross- section, and a second cavity portion located in a continuation of the first cavity portion and having a second cross-section which is smaller than the first cross-section, the wavelengths multiplexing device being configured to mix the light beams with different wavelengths originating from the light sources, through reflection of the light beams on inner surfaces of the optical cavity, so as to form a polychromatic light beam.

8. The automatic analysis apparatus according to claim 7, wherein each light source includes a light-emitting diode and a spectral selection filter disposed in front of the respective light-emitting diode.

9. The automatic analysis apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the second cavity portion is cylindrical.

10. The automatic analysis apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the emission device further includes a focusing lens configured to focus the polychromatic light beam on a focus point located in the guide track.

11. The automatic analysis apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the guide element includes a lower opening emerging in the guide track and through which an upper strand of the drive belt extends.

12. The automatic analysis apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the incident light beam emitted by the emission device is a polychromatic light beam.